First lady Jill Biden flew into Boston's Logan International Airport Thursday for a swing through Massachusetts where she'll visit veterans, attend a national teacher's union meeting and attend fundraisers.
Biden touched down about 1:30 p.m., accompanied by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Her first stop was down the street from the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood to visit military families, veterans and people who care for them through Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program.
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The focus at Home Base is on healing PTSD and the invisible wounds of war for veterans, service members and families of the fallen.
"The average veteran that comes in has a severe level of PTSD. When they come out, they're at the mild or sub-diagnosable level, so it's extraordinary work that our team does here," said Home Base COO Michael Allard.
Biden took a tour of the facility, joined by Pressley and Markey, and learned about the intensive clinical and special operations programs.
"The return to work, the return to duty has been remarkable," one Home Base-affiliated doctor said.
"This is an amazing program that now they're going to expand because so many families do need the help," Biden said of Home Base. "Mental health is real. It's a real problem in our country. The pandemic was a big part of it. War is a big part of it. And so we have to do everything we can to help our American families."
Later Thursday, she headed to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Andover.
On Friday, Biden is set to address the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers before visiting an Eversource station in Boston's Seaport District to meet with interns learning on the job. Then she'll fly to Nantucket, where she's set to take part in another DNC fundraiser Saturday.
